Samsung ordered to pay Swatch US$11. 6 million over copied smartwatch apps

[LONDON] Samsung Electronics was ordered to pay Swatch Group US$11.6 million after a London judge found that it hosted copied displays for luxury brands on its smartwatch unlawfully.

The High Court’s trademark ruling, published Wednesday (Aug 26), came after the Swiss watchmaker sought about US$170 million from the Korean technology giant for displaying the Swatch brands that included Breguet, Longines and Omega.  

“Use of the Swatch Group brands on Samsung’s supermarket shelves, downloadable for nothing or for little money, is to my mind very damaging,” Judge Marcus Smith said in the ruling. “The low price is demeaning of the brands the Swatch Group seek to promulgate.”

A previous judgment found Samsung had infringed the Swiss watchmaker’s trademarks by allowing designs that replicated the appearance of Swatch Group watches for digital watch displays on its app store between 2015 and 2019. 

Swatch Group carefully curated and promoted its brands over decades, which formed a critical part of their business, the judge said. “It is quite clear that Samsung does not value the marks as such, and considers that they make no real marginal difference to its offering to consumers,” Smith said. 

Samsung and Swatch spokespeople didn’t immediately respond to requests for comments. BLOOMBERG